MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) Now Covered by Analysts at StockNews.com

Investment analysts at StockNews.com started coverage on shares of MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) in a note issued to investors on Thursday. The firm set a “hold” rating on the utilities provider’s stock.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Siebert Williams Shank upgraded MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $19.00 target price on the stock in a report on Monday, November 4th. Bank of America upgraded MDU Resources Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $31.00 to $17.00 in a report on Tuesday, November 5th.

MDU Resources Group Stock Performance

MDU opened at $18.20 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. MDU Resources Group has a twelve month low of $14.91 and a twelve month high of $30.52. The business’s 50 day moving average is $20.45 and its 200-day moving average is $24.06. The stock has a market cap of $3.71 billion, a PE ratio of 9.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.79.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The utilities provider reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.01. MDU Resources Group had a return on equity of 11.24% and a net margin of 8.92%. The business had revenue of $1.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $969.17 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.29 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that MDU Resources Group will post 1.13 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of MDU. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new position in MDU Resources Group in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of MDU Resources Group in the second quarter worth $27,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 158.9% in the third quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,196 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 734 shares during the last quarter. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group during the third quarter worth $40,000. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its position in MDU Resources Group by 23.9% during the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,142 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 413 shares during the last quarter. 71.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MDU Resources Group Company Profile

MDU Resources Group, Inc engages in the regulated energy delivery, and construction materials and services businesses in the United States. It operates through four segments: Electric, Natural Gas Distribution, Pipeline, and Construction Services. The Electric segment generates, transmits, and distributes electricity for residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming; and operates 3,400 miles of transmission lines, 4,800 miles of distribution lines, and 82 transmission and 298 distribution substations.